Christian view on the soul/Evaluation Personal Identity

What the Catechism says and means

The Catechism says that the value of the soul is that, it is important as it refers to the innermost aspect of man, as well as making man especially in God's image.

The Catechism also says that the human body shares in the dignity of the image of God. It is also priceless as it is animated by a spiritual soul.

Secion 365 means that the soul makes the body what it is, without the soul the body would have less value.

The Catechism says that the soul is different to other characteristics because it was create by God and unlike other characteristics the soul is immortal.

The Catechism says that when we die the soul doesn't die with us it continues to live and reunites with the body at the final resurrection.

These teachings fit well with the traditional view of the soul as it sticks to the idea that we have a body and a soul as well as the view that the soul continues after death, it just doesn't stop existing.

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Evaluating Personal Identity and Death

Personal Post-mortem Existance The thing that makes 'you' you carries on to the next life.
Exists after death and it is still you.
PPME will be a matter of degree however.

The Body, the brain? View 2 Physicalist theory of identity
Physical processes
Is the body a Replica or the Original?

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Evaluating Personal Identity and Death

Problems for the Psychological ViewThese processes depend on the body. So the processes that make 'you' you depend on a particular body.
What about people without processes? (extreme memroy loss)

Problems for the Physical ViewDoes this mean you cannot be a person without a functioning body?
Do multiple identical replicas lead to multiples of you?
Does this mean all psychological states are irrelevent?

Getting round these problemsSoul Theory (atman, resurrection)
- It is vulnerable to criticisms of Dualism
- What makes the soul personalBundle Theory
- You are a configuration of all your parts
- But personal identity is lost when the bundles change